Love at first sight

She was curled up quietly in a corner, staring forlornly out of the cage. There was no fur around her eyes, which added to her disconsolate demeanour. Volunteers told us she just underwent an operation to remove a hernia and she had fresh stitches to show for it.

She elaborated that she didn’t worry about the possible “hefty bills over her medical care” and decided to take Po home, writing,

I remember looking into those huge, pitiful, pleading eyes and feeling my heart break. I just wanted to take on her previous baggage no matter the cost or difficulty.

And Ms Sia has done just that: hernia surgeries at vets here cost anywhere between $900 and $2,500.

That figure excludes medication and hospitalisation costs, which can easily run into the thousands of dollars.

But kudos to Ms Sia and her family for forging ahead with the treatment and giving Po a better life after years of abuse.

Not vilifying dogs from pet shops

Ms Sia clarifies that she does not want her post to vilify dogs who have been bred — or the people who buy them.

It does not and will not help anyone if I judge those who have bought a pup from the pet shop or a home breeder.

You didn’t know better then. Cos if you did, I’m sure you would steer clear of these places like the plague.

Instead, she hopes that it will raise awareness of the plight of breeding dogs in puppy mills here.

When the buying stops, the breeding can too

According to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority, there were more than 60,000 dogs kept as pets in 2016.

The agency does not differentiate between dogs that are bought from stores and those adopted from shelters, making it difficult to ascertain just how big the puppy mill industry here is.

But judging by the list of most popular dog breeds in Singapore, it’s safe to say that it’s an industry that’s well and alive.